From the Depths of Love
by Rei Blackstone
Summary: Ai no Kusabi meets the little mermaid. Riki is the merman and Iason is the sexy stud of a prince.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ai no Kusabi_ or any part of the franchise.

I own this storyline and the characters unless otherwise noted.

Names and characteristics of characters are all fictitious and are no reference to any real live person.

This will be a BxB, Boys love, if you do not like it don't even start reading.

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~~The Depths of Love~~

Chapter 1

Prince Iason walked the market with his entourage, basically his best friend Raoul and Raoul's bodyguard Katze. Normally he was not let out of his castle by his overprotective mother, Queen Jupiter, without less than five bodyguards. But thanks to a little escape hatch he and Raoul had snuck out and were now in the dock markets looking at the new exotic imports.

Iason could not say much for the inventory all the new pets were dull looking. Dull eyed creatures that cowered in their cages. They did nothing for him, even if he was interested in purchasing one.

"Oh, Iason look a Sphinx child," Raoul pointed out a young female Sphinx from the Land of Golden sands. A rare pet for only the wealthiest in the land.

Iason went and looked the Sphinx over, the little thing cowered, silent tears drawing down her tawny skin. Her fur was ruffled and did not gleam in the sun like it should. She looked hallow as she pulled her long lion's tail about her human like body trying to ask for some protection. Iason spied traces of blood on her legs as she shrank further away from Iason's inspection.

"What do you think?" Raoul asked leaning on the cage with a smile on his face.

"I think she was taken too early and is now ruined to be a pet," Iason said coldly giving merchant who just came up a scathing glare.

"Come look at my wares. This Sphinx child is only a display piece, I have two more Sphinxes a male and a female, perfect for breeding," the man said beckoning them in towards the buildings that housed the merchant's goods.

Iason looked at Raoul asking the silent question, should we?

Raoul shrugged and pushed on curious. Although Raoul like to look he would never touch, he already had his bedmate, though he would never admit who it really was and Katze kept tight to his master's secrets though Iason suspected that it might be Katze himself.

Sighing Iason followed, he was not really interested. Nothing kept him interested these days. They entered the first room where a cacophony of sounds abruptly halted when they entered. Iason saw in two plush cages the other Sphinxes lounging near each other, just out of reach. In another cage, a green scaled Serpentess had herself coiled on the tree stand provided. She was agile, quickly unwinding herself and pooling down the stand to come to the front of the cage. She flashed teeth showing the missing incisors that made her breed deadly.

Behind her was a cage of nymphs, their tangle hair glowing, and the scents of juniper and ash wafting about like incense.

Raoul snorted, "This is it? I would have thought that there would be more," he said coming to examine the nymphs whose giggles echoed like a breeze.

"This is not all of my stock sir," the merchant quickly said fidgeting a little.

"Then what else do you have?" Iason asked glancing over the stock.

"I also have a lucky catch, just recently come in from the Emerald isles. I just have not been able to set up the cage in here, sirs. But if you come this way you may see the rarest creature of all," the merchant led them out by a side door into a narrow passage.

They followed at a leisurely pace, noting that this was towards the water and warehouses.

AT the end of the passage the room expanded into what they had gathered would be a warehouse, there were more pets here but they did not look as healthy as the ones in the show room. Following the man to the center, they spotted what looked to be a large tank twice as large as a man five men across and five men deep. It was not the tank that was extraordinary, it was what was inside.

Curled up on the bottom of the tank was a merman. His tawny dark skin covered muscles made strong from swimming in the depths of the sea, dark black hair floated ethereally about the merman's head. The fish part was an elegant dark brown tail slightly darker than his human skin.

The merchant came up and knocked on the glass, "Wake up you have an audience."

The Merman raised his head in annoyance, his beautiful features that had been a scowl quickly softened into a cold look. His dark eyes glared at the four land walkers, without warning he shot forward with his powerful tail crashing into the glass wall, a loud thud echoing across the room and the tank shook, water spilling from the mesh top causing Raoul to take a step back laughing.

"Wow, quite some spirit wouldn't you say Iason," Raoul said trying to banter with his friend, but Iason did not answer. Instead Iason was drawn into those dark eyes of the merman who bared his teeth before flipping away and attacking the other walls of the tank.

"As you can see we still have yet tamed the beast," the merchant said.

"How much?" Iason asked.

"A few weeks, it always takes that long to get the pets to realize who their masters are," the merchant explained.

"I did not mean the training, I meant how much to take him right now." Iason corrected.

"Ah, oh, um, five thousand gold Amoin coins, good sir," the merchant was taken aback he named the first sum that came to mind.

"Is that the price for a trained pet," Iason said though it was not a question.

"I am sorry sir, I meant four, no thirty-five hundred gold Amoin, without training," the man was sweating no doubt he was not making much from the sale if Iason took it.

"Really Iason, are you sure your mother would let you bring home such a creature. I remember the last time Aunt Jupiter found out I had brought you those Dancing Lilies she had them tossed out remember," Raoul said, more in concern for any punishment than the fate of the merman.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt anyone. Iason reached into his jacket pulling out a book, "do you have a pen?" he asked. Iason never carried a pen on him for they were messy.

"Yes, the merchant rushed to a table where a pen sat, checking to see if it had ink he rushed back as before Iason put the book back. In a few flourishing movements Iason had the page filled out and carefully removed from it.

"Wax?" he asked and the merchant quickly handed him the wax stick realizing that he was about to receive a letter of credit to be turned in at one of the banks in Midas.

Iason dripped a dab of wax and then taking the ring off his finger pressed it into the soft wax leaving the crest. Handing it over the merchant looked at it, blanching he stuttered. "My Prince, where would you like your pet delivered?"

"Raoul how long do you think we could convince mother to let me take some time to go to Eos Palace?" Iason asked ignoring the merchant.

"A week, I can say you have been looking wan and should get some clean air away from the heat of the capital," Raoul said a grin on his face.

"I wish him to be delivered within the week," Iason ordered taking one last look at the merman who had retreated from the glass, settling on the floor glaring murder at Iason. Iason had the feeling the merman knew he had been sold, and if he had not been raised as a prince would have thought that the merman was laying a death curse on him.

With the exchange of purchase, the papers that the merchant quickly filled out and signed turned over to Iason. Iason with Raoul grinning and Katze trailing behind in the stoic manner of a bodyguard left the shop and headed back towards the inner city of Midas and Tanagura palace to prepare to meet Queen Jupiter.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Jupiter sat at her desk going over paperwork. Her silver hair tucked up in a tight bun and a thin circlet of silver with a ruby with the royal insignia, a lightning bolt with a sword and scepter behind it crossing, the only thing she allowed to denote her rank as Queen Regent.

The latest document was about the food shortage in the western mountains, near the Eos Palace. There had been a harsh winter and a late snow killing many crops before they had begun to mature. It would be lean this year, already there was call for a drought in late summer. She was going to have to lower taxes this year.

Sighing, she put aside the edict not sure what she wanted to do yet. She began to read a report on heavy naval maneuvers occurring near the Emerald Isles, a naval country which Amoi had often been at war with in the past but in the past eleven years had a delicate peace between them. Amoi was too wealthy a neighbor buying goods with clout with the other nations around the Sea.

Especially since the last fight had claimed the life of her husband, King Argos and the five sons of the Emerald Isles. Jupiter hoped that the peace would continue after Iason finally married Princess Imajane, but she still had heard no word from the Emerald Isles about the young Princess who was only twelve. She hated to force Iason to marry a child compared to his twenty-three years, but as Crown Prince and future king he had to marry for politics and not for personal amusement.

She began a note to the naval commander when a knock on the door of her study interrupted her. She looked up as her maid went to answer the door. As soon as the maid opened it, her sister's son walked in and bowed low.

"Raoul what is it? Did Iason take off riding without you again?" she said a smile twitching at her lips at the memory of a much younger Raoul coming to complain that his cousin had gone riding with a company of soldiers during his military training.

Raoul grinned, he was never going to live down that memory, but it was fine. His aunt had been a mother to him, ever since his own had passed away of the night chills when he was only a child. His cousin and best friend a brother where he had none.

"Aunt Jupiter, I come to beg you to send Iason away from Tanagura. He is starting the chafe at the bit, if you take my meaning, he feels like he has learned all he can here in the capital and wants to learn some other things. He would never approach you, because he know that with the approach of his twenty-fourth birthday he will soon have to take upon himself the mantle of king," Raoul said hoping his Aunt would understand the nuances of his speech.

"So your saying this is his last summer as Crown Prince and the two of you want to go have some fun before your tied down to real work," she said going back to her note scribbling quickly.

"In a sense, but I know he still wants to learn. We thought about maybe taking a turn over at the king's forest for some hunting," Raoul suggested and his aunt looked up, she knew what he was doing.

"You know there is a ban on hunting in the king's forest for sport. Only the locals may hunt, and only if they pay a tax and show that it is necessary to their survival," she said scrutinizing him.

"Then how about the Cliffside palace? Learning to fish?" he said still playing the game.

"Not with the Emerald Isles running maneuvers around there," she said remembering the reports.

"Then what about Eos, we can take a load of grain for the granaries and help layup supplies for those in the area for winter. After all there was that weird snow storm last month," Raoul said finally getting to the one place he wanted to go.

Jupiter stared at him thinking. Raoul had made a point, for Iason to go to Eos meant that she could get food to their people there. Also he could take stock of what was needed to help get the people suitably supplied for winter. If it stayed late this year, it might come early next. It was far enough away from the coast that the Emerald Isles would be no trouble. Yes this might work, the small little used palace would be perfect.

"Alright, you may go," Jupiter said putting aside her note and drawing another piece of paper and writing instructions.

Raoul was taken aback, he had thought he would have to argue harder to get Jupiter to let them go.

"Aunt Jupiter, this will be great," he said a true smile coming to his lips.

"But you will take an entourage of tutors with you. While you are there, continue your studies, I will have one of my advisers there to write me about the work you do. Also, I want both of you to call upon the militia and do some drills as the last time a company was in the area was two years ago. They could use a refresher," Jupiter said writing it all down.

"When may be leave?" Raoul asked.

"Within the week. Packing the grain allotment will take a few days so take your time getting packed. I would suggest the two of you beginning your duties today as this whole trip is to prove yourselves. Julia, have the reports copied for Iason and Raoul and check with Gideon to see which company is available to go to Eos," she said finishing the note and handing it to her maid.

Raoul bowed as the maid left in a graceful hurry. "Thank you Aunt Jupiter, I will inform Prince Iason that he may escort the supplies to Eos for the summer," he said and with a brisk nod from Jupiter left the room closing the door behind him.

Jupiter put down her pen and took a deep breath before rising and turning to the window to look out over the garden. She was worried to hand over the reins to Iason, but knew that eventually he would have to manage affairs of state and would be a test of what he could do. In the western mountains, they were right beside their neighbors which made for most of the revenue from there. The trading was regional, but Iason would be place into a position of having to wield and deal with the people there as much as request supplies from Midas. Jupiter wished to see what her proud son could do.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Iason stood in the middle of his study directing a pair of servants towards packing of trunks. Books that he wished to take he knew were not in the extensive library in Eos. Clothes that were necessary to the mountains. A few formal outfits for any local nobility and foreign dignitaries. His personal man Darryl would come with him, Darryl was his confident, as much as a servant could be.

The last writing chest had been locked when Raoul came in seating himself in his usual chair in a flutter, with Katze taking post at the door just out of earshot. With a wave of his hand Darryl ushered the other servants out under their burdens leaving Iason and Raoul to talk.

"So what did mother say?" he asked as he poured wine from the service into two goblets left there for the purpose.

"How did you know she would let us go? With all her approval might I add," Raoul said eyeing a book on the stand beside him looking at the title before opening it to the first page.

"Because mother is predictable," Iason said bringing the goblets over and handing one to Raoul who was pretending to be preoccupied.

"No, I mean, how did you know that she would let us go to Eos. Did you know when you had me prepare that little speech?" Raoul accused putting the book aside twirling the goblet in his hands.

"Believe it or not, I get all the same reports mother does, sometimes before she does," Iason replied taking a sip of the wine.

"How?" Raoul asked his eyebrow raised in question.

"That is for me to know," Iason said with a brief glance over his shoulder towards Katze.

"So you have your own spy network. No wonder you had Katze doing your bidding before you assigned him to be my guard," Raoul said an implied meaning of he would talk with Katze in private.

"I don't spy on you Raoul. WE have been friends since we were children and I don't need to be in your bed to learn everything that I want from you," Iason said in a non-threatening tone. "So what other chores did mother assign to us?"

Raoul choked as he sipped his wine, eyes darting up into laughing blue ones.

"We are taking a company of men and drilling the militia," Raoul said putting his glass down before he dropped it and dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

"That's it? I would have thought she would have had us do more," Iason said.

"Well, I believe she will send us more orders as the summer wears on but for now we are to deliver the supplies, and get the locals back on their feet and prepared for an early winter," Raoul said.

"So this should be a fun summer, in the cool air away from Midas. Our marriage prospects put on hold, I doubt we will have a summer like this again," Raoul said raising his goblet.

"To our last summer of true freedom," he toasted and Iason raised his goblet and they both drained their glasses.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Riki was angry, disgusted, and sick and swimming in his own filth, not that he had much to swim in. For seven days he had been locked in a glass box with holes in the lid, with a bucket of water a day and something like kelp and some type of fish that was the most horrible thing he had tasted.

The back of the wagon, he had heard the land walkers call it, was not pleasant. The jostling would have drained the box of all water, had it not been seal shut around the edges and the breathing holes not on the very top.

Riki had thought ship travel was bad, locked in a hold chained down, but this was worse. I still cursed himself blue for getting trapped in that fishing net. Then he remembered why he had been caught and sighed resignedly and waited.

He had no idea where he was going, wherever Eos was, he knew that he had been bought by that blonde land walker. Though he had a feeling that Eos was far from the ocean, within the first day Riki could no longer smell the salty air of the sea, instead a stench of decay had permeated everything. The smell was not pleasant but it was not unpleasant either. It was slowly turning crisp, like the waters to the north turned crisp in flavor, but the aromas here were much different.

Trying to turn to work a kink out of his tail, Riki suddenly felt sloshed around the box when the wagon suddenly stopped. Riki tried not gag, but with nothing to come up he just choked. This was not a pleasant way to travel. While disorientated, he did not hear voices come near, they were indistinct and he could not understand the language of these people, different from the cant of the Emerald Isles.

Then the wagon moved forward again, but this time, Riki was braced for the movement. He tried to catch a glimpse of where they were. Riki was confused at the jostling of the wagon. For the past few days they had not stopped except in the deep of night and a few times in the day when they fed him. This was different.

The wagon rolled forward for a little while until it jerked to a stop again. He felt the rock as the land walker who drove the wagon got off his seat. There were more voices and Riki looked trying to see where they were. With the flaps down, Riki could not see where he was, but was then blinded when the flap was thrown aside and two large land walkers stood before the wagon grasping the box and hauling it out of the wagon.

The action jostled Riki, coupled with the blinding light, he found himself disoriented. The water pulled at his body, dragging him back and forth across the box. If it were not for his gills, he would have probably been choking with his land walker lungs. Riki rolled trying to find a frame of reference to orient himself to. He finally found purchase with his hands against the box sides to keep him from being sloshed around.

They were passing the wagon, a weird contraption of a land ship. Riki saw rock beneath him before a floor of green. It was weird, but looking at it, it only stretched several lengths until it reached the edge of something Riki recognized and knew very well; Water. They were at the side of small, his brain searched for the term, lake. If he could only get to the lake, maybe he could get home.

Riki was trying to think of how to get out when the land walker in front jerked his side of the glass box and Riki slid forward, grunting as his tail was pinned between his torso and the end of the box. He was about to stretch out when he froze. This was it, this was how he could escape.

"Man this mermaid is heavy," the one land walker said.

"It's because your jostling has him braced on your end," the other one said with a grin. The water in the box shifted back and forth, pulling at him beckoning him to relax. He counted: 1, 2, 3, shift, 1, 2, 3, shift. He had it, with the next shift Riki pushed out hard with his tail his arms up braced to hit the glass on the other end of the short box, but it was enough. The sudden change in weight, and the force of his movement caused the second land walker to loose his grip and the box fell hard. Glass shattered and Riki rolled away from the land walkers, momentarily stunned.

He breathed the freshest air he had had in days, it helped bring clarity and sitting up he saw land walkers shouting and running towards him and the two who had carried him. Rolling onto his stomach, Riki looked for the lake. It was there six lengths away.

He pulled himself forward using his hands and jerking his tail he managed to gain half a length. The shouting got louder. Riki pulled harder and wriggled some more, a full length, he found the easiest motion. The green beneath him slick against his scales, his hands burying into the ground for purchase. Riki covered half the distance in moments.

Glancing back he saw other land walkers almost on top of him. The first one half a length away. Riki pulled forward, but the first land jumped at him, pinning him. Riki rolled and his strong arms hit and the land walker lay stunned, blood dripping down his face from where Riki's blow had landed.

Riki was a length away. Just a little more, there were more shouts on him, his hands were in the lake. He flipped his tail eager to be in the water. He was up to his waist. He was almost there, his tail was sliding in when suddenly hands grasped his back fin. Riki scrabbled for purchase when he was dragged backwards.

"Shit, no," he screamed in the water. He felt his nails break as they scrabbled at the rocks in the clear water.

He wriggled but the land walker had a firm grip. Riki reached for something, anything, a rock came up. Rolling on his back, Riki took aim and threw the rock at his assailant. He was let go, wriggling he pushed himself into the water, his whole body was in but it was shallow. He struggled a moment before finding the ledge and swam straight down. The water was cool, it was clear, and it was not the same as the ocean.

Riki swam to the bottom, his heart pounding like the waves on shore during a great wind storm. A boulder protruded from the bottom and he sat atop it trying to relax. He was free, as much as he wanted to return to the sea, he had to force himself to relax. There was no way they could get to him down here. The surface reflected a clear blue fifty lengths up. Where he lay there was a small valley between the shore and a small island in the middle of the lake.

Relaxing Riki sensed the water around him. It was far different from the salty sea, he felt heavier but the water was clean. He could tasted the minerals in the water, like the deep jets in the sea that spat fresh water, laden with minerals. The sun reflected differently here, steady with little waves, other than a brief breeze that ruffled the surface.

Suddenly he felt what he had been looking for. The slight tug of the water on his skin, the call that directed him towards the sea. Staying towards the bottom, Riki swam away from the rock that had been his perch. Flipping his fins lazily he played with his buoyancy until he noticed that the bottom slanted upwards. Going to the surface, Riki cautiously came above the surface, the tug of the currant stronger here. He gasped at what he say.

Before him was a wall three times his length and the lake flowed to it, a small gate imbedded in the wall, let the water flow through. Swimming slowly towards it he came to the gate, realizing that it was imbedded in the rocks below and the wall above, with no gap larger than Riki's hand. But that did not deter him. The wall had grooves and handholds that with his superior arm strength. Riki had pulled himself to the top of the wall and sat on it looking out into open air. The stream went for about a length and a half before plummeting over the edge of the earth. Riki swallowed knowing that the height was too great for him to jump down from.

Riki, was furious and felt the agony of having his last hope torn from him. An agonized scream ripped from his throat before he began weeping.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Iason was riding at the head of the column of soldiers just entering Eos' Eastern gate. The lake was seen just through the trees and the road ran alongside the lake until it reached the palace. A blood curdling scream echoed across the lake, spooking many of the horses and the men. Iason quickly shouted orders and with Raoul at this back galloped up the road to stop when he saw the merchant caravan picking up shards of glass.

"What happened?" he asked and a burly man approached him, his brows furrowed in shame.

"My lord, I regret to inform you that your pet escaped. WE were carrying him to the main residence when the carriers lost control and dropped the box containing him and he managed to slip into the lake. I supremely apologize for our mistake," he bowed expecting a lash as many other nobles had done before.

Raoul snorted, bringing a brief smile to Iason's lips. "Man you don't know? This lake is surrounded by walls and the western edge flows off a cliff that no man in his right mind would challenge. I don't see that pet escaping this place any other way than the one he arrived, being carried in a litter and water," Raoul stated as Iason turned his horse to the water's edge looking towards the far side where he could see the wall and he thought he saw a lone figure moving on the top, a dark figure against the white of the wall, and then a splash back into the water, told him his pet had returned to the lake.

"It will be fine, I was going to have him released into the lake anyway. I hope you like your new home, my little pet. Raoul direct the men to the barracks and have the servants begin unloading the wagons. There is much to do before we lose the daylight," Iason ordered spurring his horse past the merchant caravan and into the palace square towards the stables where a stable boy ran up and grasping the bridle as Iason dismounted.

With one more glance towards the lake Iason entered the Palace.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Ai no Kusabi or any of it's franchise. Only the story and original characters belong to me.

Rated NC-17 for sexual and language content

Boys Love, Don't Hate

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Thanks to all those who read and commented on this story. I also have it on my LiveJournal under the same title and author. I Hope you all enjoy.

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Ch. 2

"Brother, I caught one," came a girl's voice. A small mermaid swam towards Riki, in her hands was a spear with a wriggling grouper on the end. Her silver tail glittered in the light of the tropical sun.

Riki swam closer to her to check her kill. She had gotten it neatly so that little blood was spilled and it was incapacitated for them to haul it home after the hunting was done. Smiling he pulled the bag off his shoulder, already half full of clams and a few fish, and held it open for her to put the grouper in.

"Great Job Ima," he ruffled her dreaded silvery blonde hair, "try and get a few more. Then we can show Dad what we have caught," he said with a grin. She twisted like a dancer back the way she came, excited to catch something else.

Riki watched her swim a way away and begin poking around the reef looking for other fish. Riki drifted back down the reef face he had been scouring for clams and other delicacies for the feast they would be having later. It was Ima's last day living with them. The next day his half-sister would return to the land and become a land walker again.

It took them another hour before the bag was bulging and Ima proud of her hunting skills swam in circles around Riki, who was trying hard to be the older brother. For a five year difference in ages, and only knowing each other for three years, the two half-siblings had become close. Riki doting on Ima at any time and Ima wanting to please her big brother anyway she could.

As Ima circled Riki she finally said, "I am going to miss you Riki. My grandfather is horrible, I don't remember anything good about him." Her face wrinkled in disgust when she grasped hold of him in a tight hug.

Riki turned his head to look at her, "But you have to Ima. You have lived with us for three years. You have found your balance and must return to the land walkers. That is your place, Dad even received a message that your grandfather urgently requests your immediate return."  
"But they want me to marry someone, who is much older than me. Someone I have never even met. Why do I have to do it? Why can't I forever live in the sea with you and Dad?" she asked in her whining voice that usually gave her whatever she wanted.

"Because the agreement between the Mer and the Emerald Isles is that children of land and sea must live in the sea until they have gained control of their forms. After that, they have to return to their place of birth."

"Ima, you are a rare gift to be born of land and sea. Most born of both parents are either one or the other. You have the sworn duty to protect both your people, the people of Mer from those on land, and tell those on land that the Mer let them work on the sea without consequence. It is a delicate balance and you are honored by that birth right," Riki explained to her again. She sighed as she listened to the same lecture for the millionth time.

"I know, but I don't want to be the one," she said sadly.

"Well, look at Dad, he is chief, not because he wants to be, but because he was born Mer and can become a land walker. Not many Mer can do that, and he mated with your mother in the hopes that you would be born. You would be the defining bridge between the Mer and the Emerald Isles," Riki said and Ima let go swimming ahead.

"I know this already, I just wanted you to tell me it was ok to stay. Just for one person to say that it was ok that I did not want to leave. It is not like you could become a land walker Riki, your mom was Mer and so you are forever a Mer," she said in a huff. Riki sighed and swam faster to keep up. Suddenly they were in a school of sun fish, their dancing bodies making it hard to see.

"Riki!" Ima screamed, her terror evident in her voice.

"Ima!" Riki responded, he couldn't see her. He tried to dart upwards out of the school but was pushed farther down.

"Riki! Help Me!" she screamed louder, something had happened and Riki dropped his bag and shot up out of the school. He cast about below looking for her.

"Riki!" her scream came from above. Riki looked up and his blood went cold. Ima was trapped in a land walker's net with struggling fish.

As fast as a torpedo, Riki was there beside her as they slowly ascended to the land walker's world. "Ima, hold still I will get you out," Riki said reaching to his waist where his belt wrapped around him. On it in a crude sheathe was a coral knife. Riki began hacking at the net the bigger the hole, the more fish escaped but it was still not big enough for the mermaid who thrashed in terror.

"Ima, relax, I will get you out. Remember the first day we met," he asked as he worked at the ropes.

"You said you wouldn't babysit a spoiled little clown fish," she laughed hysterics in her voice.

"And what did you say?" the hole was almost big enough now.

"I don't believe such a bully boy is my big brother," she said turning to him as he cut the last strand.

"Come on, I got you," he said holding the hole open for her. She twisted and pulled herself out but then squeaked in pain and alarm as something held her back. Her fin was stuck.

"RIKI!" panicked she began to struggle. Against his better judgment, Riki pulled himself into the net to free her fin. The net began to surface, and Riki was flustered a second as his gills flapped looking for the water to siphon oxygen that wasn't there. Then his land walker lungs began to work. Ima scream in pain and Riki cut one rope and the silver tail slid free and out of his sight. There was a splash and Riki was the one trapped in the net.

"Riki!" Ima cried, her melodic voice harsh in the air.

"Swim Ima! Go Home! Get Dad!" Riki ordered.

"Not without you," she said.

"Ima! I am your big brother, GO!" He said looking down in her eyes filled with tears. She nodded and he saw her leap in the direction away from the ship that was hauling him in. He watched her until the net was swung around on deck. He counted six men on the deck, he held onto his dagger ready to fight his way out expecting to be lowered to the deck.

When he was half a length from the deck, the net was unceremoniously dropped. Riki's dagger fell from his hands as he hit the deck, the wind knocked from him. Then suddenly he felt an oppressive weight on him. Rough hands pushed him down. Someone grabbed his arms and forced his wrists together, a rough roped was wrapped about them tightly.

Riki opened his mouth to shout, but something dry was shoved into his mouth. He struggled against the heaviness upon him but quickly tired not used to the heaviness in the open air.

"Get some water! It be a Mer, he shan't dry out," Riki felt the footfalls, more than heard them. Someone light moved quickly across the deck.

"Get the Cap'n," someone screamed in the cant of the Emerald Isles, a language Riki knew because Ima and his father both spoke it. The Mer were gifted with language and the Riki quickly caught on to what they were saying.

Riki choked when he was inundated with water, "Watch where you throwing that, lad," the man seated atop his chest wiped his faced as he controlled Riki's hands.

"What sholl' we do wit' 'im?" a deep voice asked outside of Riki's sight.

"Cook 'im," a thin shrill man who held a coil of rope.

"Rape 'im," someone who held his tail jeered.

"Make money off 'im" a brawny man with dark brown skin said a bucket in his hands and threw the contents at Riki.

Riki began to struggle feebly again. It elicited a laugh from the deck hands.

"Of course we will sell 'im. Does any 'oves you know how much dis merman will brung us?" the Captain came from below decks. The crew on deck immediately went quiet. They all waited for their captain to continue.

"It once was, a Mer be worth five 'undred Amoin. Never much here in the Isles, but in Amoi, they pay that much for another being," the captain said and a few of the men that Riki could see began to think and they began to grin.

"Hey that be fifty Amoin a piece, there be ten ov us," Someone whispered into the man who held Riki's chest down. Riki did not understand the measurements in coin that they talked about.

"That be more pay than I get in a year," said one man loud enough for Riki's sensitive hearing to catch.

"That's right, each man will git 'is fair share. Now, let us show dis nice merman our'n hospitality," the Captain said and that elicited a chuckle from the men. Next thing Riki knew he was hauled up in the grip of several burly men and carried across the deck.

Riki tried to struggle, but their grip was firm and he was already worn out from fighting them before. They went down a hatch into the innards of the ship. Riki would have been curious if he had not been trying to free himself. They carried him past a short corridor with nets strung up between the beams and entered through a door into pitch blackness that smelled foul. Riki felt them go down and then he was dropped unceremoniously on a hard wooden floor in the bowels of the ship. He could hear the sound of the sea lapping against the haul and the water nearby smelled stale.

"Welcome to the Bilge," said one man laughing as they ascended the stair into the light, closing the door behind them. The room went dark. In the complete darkness, a small part of Riki was terrified, but slowly his eyes adjusted till he could make out the ghost shapes of where he had been dropped.

He was in a long room that seemed to be as long as the ship. It pinched at either end and curved away from a center beam where water collected. Where the ladder ended was a small platform that stayed an inch above the water.

With only the sound of feet from above, Riki pulled the gag from his mouth and began to knaw at the ropes binding his hands until the rope came undone and fell uselessly on his lap. Riki massaged his aching hands before sliding into the water and wiggling across the room, finding that the water was a foot deep in the middle. He looked for another way out, or some weakness in the walls. There was none.

Frustrated, Riki pounded on the walls screaming. Before falling limply against them numbed to the bone by the events that had transpired. What was supposed to have been a sad but joyous day, seemed to have turned into a nightmare and Riki did not know when it would end.

Suddenly a loud thump came from down the wall. Riki ignored it thinking it was from something again, then the thump came again, but closer. Riki sat up listening, it came once more right next to him and Riki hammered against the wall. "I'm here," he called.

"Riki!" came a muffled voice Riki recognized.

"Dad! Is Ima alright?" Riki yelled hoping to be heard, his heart fluttered, everything would work out now.

"She's fine, shaken up though. Are you ok?" his father called.

"They have me locked in the bilge. They are going to sell me to someplace called Amoi," Riki informed his father.

"Ok, Riki we won't have much time. They are furling the sails. I will do my best to get you out, but I can't do anything now,"

"Why not?"

"Riki, listen don't let them dry you off! Stay in the water, you… my son… my gi…." Riki's father's voice disappeared as the ship moved away faster than his father could swim.

"Dad!" Riki called knowing he wouldn't hear an answer. "Dad! DAD!" Riki punched at the wall, the wood the only barrier between him and the open sea. Riki was finally alone. He would have sobbed if he were younger. All was not over yet, he still had chances to make it home, no matter how long it took.

Pulling himself up by the ladder, Riki looked in the small room that was off from the door. It was filled with barrels. One had a loose lid and Riki found a white powder in it. He tried it and screwed up his face as he tasted pure salt. Another barrel had a tap on it, and after a moment Riki poured a small amount on his hand and tasted it. Pure water, a lucky find indeed.

In the sea, Riki absorbed water through his skin, but already, he felt himself drying out. He remembered his lesson's with his father. Land walkers could only consume fresh water, and that if he ever found himself in a situation that Riki should drink as much fresh water as he could.

Looking around, behind a barrel attached to a bottle of dark liquid, was a small cup. Riki snapped the cup from the bottle and began to fill it with the fresh water. It tasted funny, with no hint of the sea, but he had to survive and he drank cup and cup until he felt sick.

With nothing more to do, and feeling his scales curling Riki slid down the ladder back into his makeshift home and laying in the water and resting his head on the platform, not wishing to breath in the stale water. Riki relaxed and waited, his mind wondering over the idea of what it would be like to be a land walker bound by the air and land. With a small connection to the sea, unable to feel its life and pulse like a Mer could.

Riki woke from his dream of the day he had been captured with a scale pealing pain that he had felt only once before on his journey. He screamed loudly, unable to keep silent after a day where all his hopes had finally been dashed. His soul felt like it had broken and now his body felt like it was breaking too. Reaching down and staring at wonder between the pains, Riki saw his body.

Instead of a Mer tail, powerful enough to break coral were two land walker legs a tawny brown and muscled. Between his legs were something he had never seen before on a land walker, but recognized his penis from when he had practiced with his friends for the marriage dances. It looked strange hanging out and now Riki understood why land walkers wore clothes, they could not hide their privates in scales like the Mer could.

Curious he held it, it was soft and sensitive. The grip of his hand, rough and firm seemed to tease it bringing a spike of pleasure to Riki. Shocked at himself for doing it, but desiring the sensation, Riki continued to rub his penis until it strained in his hands. He breathed heavily as he palmed himself until the pleasure was just beyond his grasp. Something wet beaded on the tip and coated his hand making it easier to wrap his hand around himself rubbing the entire shaft. Shifting himself he began to stroke himself faster, his brows knit in concentration, his hip moved disrupting his pace and he groaned. He pulled hard accidentally once or twice, but that just made him buck harder.

Finally, with just the right stroke, the pleasurable sensations finally crashed like a wave over him and he felt himself cum. It spurt across his chest and the rocks around him. Riki could not believe what he had done. He had released his seed not in the womb of a mermaid, but for himself. He was angrier at himself for wasting the seed on himself than the pleasure he had given himself. Part of his brain asked if all land walker's felt this pleasure when they copulated and understood why there were so many land walkers compared to the Mer.

Disgusted with himself, Riki looked about for something else to occupy him. Around him was a coating of scales that glittered in the moonlight. That explained the feeling of his scales peeling off, they had in fact fallen away, leaving land walker legs. Making him wonder how he got his scales back.

Carefully on shaky legs, Riki tried to stand using the pillar of rock behind him for support. It was weird being so high above the ground on his own limbs, and he wondered why the land walkers never fell over in panic. The seed was starting to dry and feel weird on his skin so he went to edge of the island he had taken refuge for the night, wanting to watch the land walker home than anything else.

Riki paused when he saw a light come up to the dock across from the island. Without thinking, Riki dove into the water diving deep. At first nothing happened and Riki did not understand. He took a breath and water sucked down his throat burning, he didn't have gills. He was afraid something had happened, he had become full land walker, he would no longer be Mer, and he would never swim the deeps again or dance with the dolphins.

As painful as his scales falling off. Riki screamed and in his hazy brain watched as his legs pulled together, scales growing from his flesh. He floundered, the water choking his screams, his brain incoherent until he hit the bottom and he lay gasping as his gills took over the breathing.

His head on fire Riki lay there confused until he could make sense of what had happened. He had become a land walker and he had turned back into the Mer. He now understood what his father had said, he was his father's son, and he had his father's gifts. Now he just had to make good use of them.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Katze walked down the path carefully for all the hurry he was in. He had not been to Eos in several years and he was not confident in his memory of the paths, nor in that had something not happened to them since their last visit.

He wore a jerkin and breeches with the first boots he could put on his feet. He was a little annoyed because he had been enjoying a quiet evening with Raoul when an ear-splitting scream had woken the palace. After quickly donning something, somewhat respectable he had rushed to check on Prince Iason, who had been reading by the fire in his rooms, sent him to check on the lake.

He hoped that nothing had happened to the merman, but then again if it had been him, serves him right. He reached the docks lifting the lantern casting about looking for the Mer, he saw a splash off of Chimney Island and guessed that it had been the merman. Katze understood that the Mer was skittish and was probably scared of humans.

Turning to leave he spotted a tray on the edge of the dock. Iason had ordered the cook to bring down a plate of food for the pet. There was a loaf of bread and some scraps along with a cup of wine. All untouched, Katze sighed he would have to figure out what Mer ate, but figured that the merman did not know about bread and from what he had heard all he had had on his deliver was some fish jerky and lettuce.

Sighing, he left the lantern by the tray hoping the merman would see and come investigate. Remembering the path back Katze went back to the palace and reported to Iason, mentioning about feeding his pet and then went back to Raoul's rooms where he found himself warmly welcomed.

Raoul lay on the imperial bed, the sheets still drawn back from when Katze had left earlier. Raoul looked up as he entered, locking the door behind him and pulling off his boots sighing.

"Did you find anything?" Raoul asked unconcerned.

"Nothing, though the merman seemed to be spooked when I went to check the lake. None of the other guards were sure what the noise was," he stripped off his jerkin and began unbuckling his breeches, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I hope this does not become a nightly," Raoul jerked him back, the breeches flying off his foot, "excurs... mmmm" and Raoul planted a kiss on Katze's mouth as he pulled his red headed body guard to him.

"Enough talk about things outside this room," Raoul ordered tucking Katze firmly beneath him, running his fingers down Katze's rippled muscles. Katze sucked in a breath as Raoul's soft hand rubbed his naked hip. He gazed into those green eyes before pulling Raoul's mouth closer to his. Raoul's long blonde hair spilling around him like a curtain that blocked out everything but what was going on between them.

Raoul squeezed Katze's thigh and resettled himself as Katze spread his legs, their cocks rubbing together. Raoul kissed Katze across the jaw to his ear nibbling at the lobe. Katze moaned loudly as Raoul reached for the bedside table and opened a black lacquered box which he dipped his fingers in, pulling his fingers out, they were covered with lube. Lifting Katze's left leg to his should, Raoul reached around and began fingering his hole.

Katze sucked in a breath at the first touches, lifting his hips and Raoul's finger entered with surprising ease. Raoul raised an eyebrow and smiled down at his red-headed guard, "have you been practicing without me?" he asked.

"Shut up already," Katze replied a dark blush upon his cheeks and Raoul chuckled and easily entered a second finger rotating them up to hit the little nub with direct precision. Katze growled and bit Raoul on the shoulder, his member straining hard between them.

Raoul laughed harder as he continued to rub the nub harder and harder. Katze tried to buck his hips but he was pinned and instead clung to Raoul until that third finger touched his prostate and he came hard. Lying beneath Raoul breathing heavily, Raoul kept twisting his fingers rubbing the nub deep within Katze until he lay begging for something more.

"What? Did you want something?" He said smiling down at Katze who felt like goo gazing up into the bright shining light.

"I want you," he said softly grasping Raoul who twisted his fingers to the right sending shivers up Katze's body.

"You want me. Then I will give you some of me," he said removing his fingers making Katze whimper and leaned back at the foot of the bed and beckoned Katze to come to him. Katze did not know how he did it but he rolled over and crawled between Raoul's legs and taking Raoul's cock in his hand stroked it while looking up into emerald eyes before bending and taking the organ of his pleasure in his mouth and began to suck hard.

Raoul groaned, surprised at the aggressiveness of Katze's strokes. Katze burned around him and pulled him much closer to the edge than he thought was possible. Katze gently massaged Raoul's sack making him groan, sweat beading on his skin as his chest heaved. Raoul was fighting to hold onto his control and Katze was not making it easy on him.

Katze loved the taste of Raoul, but this is not what he had wanted and he wanted to make him pay. He did exactly as he remembered how Raoul liked it best, suppressing his gag reflex and sucking so hard his lips went numb. He felt himself aching as he was so close to Raoul that he could smell the sweet scent of Raoul mixed with the salt of his sweat, a euphoric aroma that Katze especially loved. He could feel his own cock twitching and he wanted something more than just tasting Raoul.

Raoul, felt himself quickly coming to an edge and gasped when Katze suddenly slowed. Raoul looked down and saw hunger in those brown eyes, very aware of what Katze would and wouldn't do. As much as the bodyguard took his orders, Katze would not hesitate to do what needed to be done first sometimes.

"Katze," Raoul groaned sitting up and bringing Katze's face to his kissing the redhead squarely on the lips in a dazzling passionate kiss.

When he broke it he noticed a faint blush on Katze's cheeks. Katze did not mind kissing at the beginning of sex or during sex, but in the middle, that was not something he was used to. And the kisses Raoul gave him were not little things for arousal, they displayed his feelings as if he shouted them. Katze had had encounters and loves but Raoul had been the only one to turn him to mush.

Raoul saw the passion in Katze's eyes and then gasped when Katze pushed him back down. Straddling him, Katze guided Raoul into him as he sank back, groaning pleasure as he was filled with the man beneath him. Raoul watched as Katze's face played the different sensations across his face as he rode him. His harm muscles glistening with sweat in the candle light, his tanned skin rippling.

Placing his right hand on Katze's hip he helped to guide Katze above him, Raoul winced as he felt Katze squeeze him. Reaching with his other hand he began to rub Katze's hard erection, pre-cum coating his hand. Katze moaned as Raoul wrapped his hand around his shaft altering his stride before coming to a shuddering halt atop Raoul, his face contorted in deep concentration.

Raoul knew that Katze was trying hard to hold himself back from coming. Taking the initiative, Raoul sat up, wrapping his arms around Katze and began to lift Katze up and down on his lap. Grunting with effort, Raoul was pleased to hear that Katze breathing hard making the little noises he did when he was close and then Katze groaned as he came between them and in a tight pulsation so hard around Raoul, that Raoul came hard. Silently groaning as he felt himself milked by Katze's body before he found enough coordination to lay Katze down against the pillows.

Katze breathed heavily his eyes closed as he clutched at Raoul and Raoul did not want to let him go, nor pull away from Katze, his erection going soft within the bodyguard. For at this moment, Raoul was happy and nothing in the world could take away his happiness.

"Katze, do you love me?" he whispered into Katze's ear on a whim of adrenaline.

Katze opened his eyes, surprised by the question. He gazed into Raoul's eyes trying to think of the best way to answer. Should he answer truthfully or put off the question. The look in Katze received was one he could not read, like Prince Iason they held secrets that were not easily revealed, though they were softer like they peered into Katze gently.

"You don't have to answer. Ignore me, it was a silly question," Raoul said softly after Katze did not answer for several moments. Katze opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by a slow kiss from Raoul. Confused, but all thoughts banishing when Raoul brushed a nipple with his finger, signaling another round. Katze let himself be swept away by Raoul and his passion for the rest of the night.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Teri yawned as patrolled his round. He was miserable after pulling the short straw for the middle shift for guard duty after marching all day. He had been awoken earlier when a scream had woken every person in the barracks and castle. After a brief search, no one had found the source. By the time the search had concluded his shift had started and he had to go on duty with only an hour's sleep.

He was walking past the stables, when he heard something. A low murmuring but not in any language he recognized. Drawing his sword Teri cautiously approached the stables, the nearest horses dozing in their stalls. The murmuring went quiet and Teri paused not wanting to spook whoever was there. A horse nickered and the murmuring continued.

Teri rounded the corner and at the open end of the stable he saw a dark figure talking to a horse, the horse nodding its head. Teri was stunned that a person was talking with a horse, but as he stood there staring the figure turned towards him before turning and running awkwardly away. Teri remembered himself and chased after the figure but jumped when the horse suddenly reared, kicking out the stall door. Teri dodged the door and the horse's hooves, loosing precious seconds on the intruder.

He scrambled for the door just to see the figure running down the path towards the gardens that led to the lake. Gaining his feet Teri ran after the intruder, quickly gaining on him but not fast enough that he had lost the person in the gardens. Pausing only to hear the intruder before chasing after him again. Teri ran until he came to the lake but there was no sign of the person, only ripples on the lake surface. Teri came to the water to see if the intruder hid there, but in the darkness he could not see anything.

Suddenly, something large jumped from the water about twenty feet out and Teri jumped a terrified squeak escaping his mouth as his heart hammered in his chest. It took him a few moments to realize that it had been the merman, he must have been disturbed by the intruder or Teri and was letting them know.

Breathing hard he jumped when a hand patted him on the shoulder and turning he found himself looking at his friend and fellow guard Tora.

"What's the matter Teri, you look like a ghost got you?" he asked laughing.

"Did you see anyone running by here?" Teri asked looking about before sheathing his sword.

"Only you. Why?" Tora asked looking around too.

"I found someone strange in the stables, and then one of the horses kicked out the stall and tried to hurt me. I chased the intruder into the gardens then lost them," he said his heart finally slowing to a steady pace.

"Hmm, maybe it was that ghost old man Tom was talking about, the one about the stable boy that drowned himself," Tora said trying to be helpful.

"You don't really believe in that crap do you?" Teri asked incredulous.

"Not really, but who knows. For all we know, it was a squatter who got stuck here, after all the castle was empty for a year or two. Who knows?" Tora said and both guards looked out over the lake and they could see the merman climbing onto the rocky island outcrop closer to the castle.

"Well, who knows, time to get back to patrol. See you at muster out Teri," Tora said clapping Teri on the shoulder before resuming his walk along the gardens. Teri stood a moment watching the merman before turning and going back to the stables to make sure a stable hand had awoken to take care of the horse and see what else he could find around the stable to link to the intruder.


End file.
